Coupler centering device



May 20, 1969 F. c. KULIEKE, JR., ET AL 3,445,005

COUPLER CENTERING DEVICE Filed July 5. 1966 Sheet of 2 Lfllzvezzz ars: Qiecrzo? I:

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MG" mm wn May 20, 1969 F. c. KULIEKE, .|R ET AL 3,445,005

COUPLER GENTERING DEVICE United States Patent Otfice 3,445,005 Patented May 20, 1969 3,445,005 COUPLER CENTERING DEVICE Frederick C. Kulieke, Jr., Alliance, and Lee G. Wisler,

Beloit, Ohio, assignors to Amsted Industries Incorporated, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New Jersey Filed July 5, 1966, Ser. No. 562,784 Int. Cl. B61g 7/10 US. Cl. 213- 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A railway car coupler pivotally connected to a yoke is located above a centering bar pivotally connected at one end to a striker casting. The bar is resiliently biased in a centered position by springs and has a pivotal U-shaped latch at its other end that straddles the sides of the couplers shank during normal operation thereby retaining the coupler in a centered position. The latch may be pivoted out of contact with the coupler so that the coupler may be freely rotated to either side of center. When the coupler again returns to center, the latch automatically engages the coupler and resiliently retains it for movement with the center bar.

This invention relates to a car coupler centering device for yieldably resisting horizontal pivotal movement of a coupler from a central position to an angular position relative to the striker casting of a railway car.

During coupling of railway cars located on straight track, the coupler centering device acts to hold its respective coupler in a normal central position to insure proper automatic engagement of the coupler with another coupler. During coupling of cars located on curved track, it is sometimes necessary to manually pivot the coupler to an otI-center position. To permit manual pivotal movement of the coupler to an otI-center position, the present invention contemplates the provision of a centering device comprising manually operable means for disengaging the centering device from the coupler, the centering device being automatically operable to again engage the coupler when the coupler returns to its central position.

The invention embodies other novel features, details of construction and arrangement of parts which are hereinafter set forth in the specification and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view, partly in section, illustrating a coupler centering device embodying features of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1, showing the coupler centering device in engagement with a coupler shank.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary section corresponding to FIGURE 2 showing the centering device disengaged from the coupler shank.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of the invention, the coupler centering device is shown as mounted on a striker casting 2 to yieldably resist pivotal movement of a conventional automatic railway car coupler 3 from its normal central position within the striker casting to an angular position. The shank 4 of the coupler is shown as pivotally connected to a yoke by a pivot pin 7 and supported for sliding horizontal movement upon a carrier 8 secured to the strike casting.

The coupled centering device is shown as comprising a centering arm 9 having one end thereof pivotally connected to the striker casting 2 by means of a pivot pin 11 and a pivot pin bracket 12. A U-shaped latch 13 is pivotally mounted on the free end of the arm 9 by means of a pivot pin 14. The latch 13 is provided with fingers 16 and is so weighted as to have a normal position in which the fingers extend upwardly and straddle the coupler shank 4, as illustrated in FIGURES l and 2 in the drawings. The arm 9 is supported for sliding horizontal movement upon a transverse member 15 secured at its ends to the side walls of the striker casting.

A latch actuating lever 17 is pivotally connected at one end thereof at 20 to the centering arm 9 for sliding abutting engagement against the lower end of latch 13 to pivot the latch from its vertical position to a horizontal position to release the coupler for manual movement to an angular position. A manually operable release lever 18 is journaled adjacent its ends in bearings 19 mounted on the striker casting, the medial portion of the lever being offset at 21 to form a crank, this crank portion having sliding engagement along the lower surface 22 of the lever 17. Handle portions 23 are provided at opposite ends of the release lever 18. The position and direction of the lever 17 converts the generally vertical movement of the crank into swinging motion of the latch 13.

Spring retainer rods 24 are pivotally connected to opposite sides of the centering arm 9 and extend outwardly through cup shaped members 26 secured to the side walls of the striker casting 2. Collars 27 are secured to the outer ends of the rods by pins 28. Inner abutment washers 29 are seated against shoulders 31 on the rods 24, and outer abutment washers 32 are seated against the members 26 and collars 27. Helical compression springs 33 are mounted on the rods 24 between the washers 29 and 32.

In the operation of the coupler centering device thus shown and described, it will be noted that the two springs 33 coact to yieldably resist horizontal angular movement of the coupler 3 and serve to maintain the coupler in a central position within the striker casting when the coupler is not coupled to another coupler.

In the coupling of cars on curved track, the coupler may be disengaged from the centering device to permit the coupler to be pivoted laterally for alignment with and engagement by another coupler, and on straight track the coupling operation is performed in the normal manner, without any manual manipulation.

To disengage the couple, the handle 23 is swung forwardly and it may be immediately released after swinging the coupler member to the side, since the finger 16 of the latch 13 on the corresponding side engages the lower surface of the coupler member and is retained thereby in unlatching position. When the coupler member 10 is moved to centered position, as when the train is on straight track, the latch 13 then assumes its normal latching position, with the fingers 16 extending upwardly and engaging the opposite side surfaces of the coupler member.

In the normal travel of the train, when the coupler member swings from side to side due to the changes in direction of the track, the swinging action is accommodated by the sliding engagement between the latch actuating lever 17 and the release lever 18.

The construction is extremely simple and efiFective in operation. The springs 33 are positioned close to the pivot axis of the centering arm 9 while the point of connection between that arm and the coupler member is at a substantial distance outwardly from the springs. This arrangement accommodates a wide range of swinging movement of the coupler member while still producing effective centering action in view of the fact that the only load the springs are put to is swinging the coupler memher.

We claim:

1. A coupler centering device comprising: a striker casting; a coupler member pivotally mounted in respect to said striker casting; a centering arm pivotally connected to said striker casting, said centering arm being disposed below said coupler member; biasing means connected to said striker casting and engaged with said centering arm for biasing said centering arm to a given position relative to said striker casting; latch means secured to said centering arm and engageable with said coupler member, said latch means being pivotally mounted on said centering arm and includes finger means for engaging said coupler member, said finger means being biased upright in a normal position for engagement with said coupler member for corresponding movement between said centering arm and said coupler member, and having a second position in which said finger means is spaced from said coupler member for independent movement of said coupler member and said centering arm; and releasable means connected to said latch means to move said latch means to its second position.

2. A coupler centering device according to claim 1 wherein said finger means is biased upwardly and straddle said coupler member when said finger means is in a normal position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,231,619 7/1917 Krakau 213--l5 1,154,040 9/1915 Milliken 21320 1,165,678 12/1915 Kinne 21320 1,585,948 5/1926 Tomlinson 213--21 2,226,485 12/1940 Van Dorn 213-61 3,108,697 10/1963 Metzger 213-21 3,258,131 6/1966 Manyek 21319 DRAYTON E. HOFFMAN, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

